Boscombe Down Incident 1994

[scudpilot]

I am quite interested in the "events" of that night, I am sure that many of you will have read reports about it on the web. Any thoughts about what the aircraft was?

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Me too.. not sure if any official details have ever been released so we have to depend on conspiracy theories I guess..

[chevvron]

This has been blown up out of all proportion by the 'conspiracy theory' merchants. From all I've read it was an F22 which was quickly removed from the country in case it got the type bad press.

[Magoodotcom]

Originally Posted by chevvron

This has been blown up out of all proportion by the 'conspiracy theory' merchants. From all I've read it was an F22 which was quickly removed from the country in case it got the type bad press.

Not a conspiracy theorist, but am curious about this one. Especially as there were only two YF-22s, both of which can be accounted for and neither of which were flying by 1994, while the first development F-22 didn't fly until 1997. That leaves a bit of a gap in there.

Razor, are you out there and if so, do you want to contribute?

Magoo

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Go on Google and type "Boscombe Down Incident". It kept me interested for hours last night.

[treadigraph]

HD, if I don't get any work done this morning, I shall blame you...

[scudpilot]

That's settled then, it WAS the Aurora!

[Golf Charlie Charlie]

Could anyone explain to me why the Americans would be testing a secret new aircraft a) in the UK, and b) in a pretty busy and populated part of the UK (ie. southern England). At least in the US they use Nevada where there's nothing for hundreds of miles. It doesn't seem logical to my simple mind.

[oldlag53]

Yep, this story is complete cobblers. Boscombe Down is spread out in full view from the main road between the M3 and Devon!! Some twit describes it as 'Britain's Area 51' - huh??!!

The usual stuff - all hysterical conjecture and conspiracy theories. What is it in the human psyche that wants to believe in the impossible rather than the probable???

[pulse1]

I see that the "Secret Airbases" site says that the Mull Chinook pilots have been cleared of the iniquitous charge of gross negligence - I guess that shows how much credibility you can give that site.

[scudpilot]

ok people, back to my question at the top of the page...
Does anyone know what the aircraft was, the reports stated that it has twin tail (like the YF22) but it was BEFORE the F22's maiden flight..
Anyone got any ideas WHAT it was?

[Eff Oh]

It wasn't Mull, it was The Mull of Kintyre. Big diff!

[GK430]

Why shouldn't certain things be secret even if it is visible from the main road.
They had a Hind there back in '96, (allegedly of course) but whoever saw it?

[BossEyed]

Originally Posted by scudpilot

Anyone got any ideas WHAT it was?

Before you can ask WHAT it was, you need to determine IF it was.

I don't believe any such incident occurred. The main road from Amesbury to Salisbury was closed for some time one weekday due to a trials aircraft returning with a faulty bit of kit that could have hazarded traffic. (But that bit of info wasn't released publicly until several months later).

Because the road was closed with no explanation as to why, local rumour was rife and that has multiplied over the years - with some selective "evidence" put forward by the delusional - or more likely, mischevious - based on visiting aircraft which were not that unusual to see at that airfield at that time. Also put into the mix was a strange metallic shape seen under tarpaulin that intrigued external observers but was ultimately revealed to be a dummy ship's flightdeck.

People are fooling themselves, IMO.